Leonard Ball came of a large family and was born in November 1900; he was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, and later at the University of Melbourne. After graduation at the age of 23 he became resident medical officer and registrar at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. In 1927 he moved to London to become resident medical officer at the London Temperance Hospital, and then held a similar post at Paddington Childrens' Hospital. On obtaining his Fellowship in 1928 he returned to Australia, and in 1934 was appointed surgeon to outpatients at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, and became senior in-patient surgeon at the same hospital in 1946. During the second world war Ball was a surgical Major in the 2/7 Australian General Hospital, and finished his Army service as Lieutenant-Colonel in the same unit having seen active service in the Middle East and New Guinea. After the war he returned to an active general surgical practice in Melbourne, consulting at 32 Colliers Street and living at 4 Torrington Place, Melbourne. During his active surgical career Ball was elected to the Council of the Victorian Branch of the BMA and became its President in 1953 and Treasurer 1954-61. He was a Trustee of the Medical Society of Victoria, and shortly before his death was elected a Fellow of the Australian Medical Association. Apart from his medical duties he was honorary treasurer of the Methodists Ladies College and the first President of the Alcohol Foundation of Victoria, which was founded in an attempt to deal with the growing problem of alcoholism in the State. Ball was essentially a general surgeon and his strength lay in his diagnosis and the timing of his operations. He was also much sought after in medico-legal cases, where his clear thinking and quick decisions were a great asset to the legal profession. His chief relaxation was cricket both as a player and an onlooker; he was also a member of the Wallabies Walking Club until ill health made him resign from the Club's activities. He married Lena Speidel of Dublin and they had one son and a daughter; all of whom survived him. He died after a protracted illness on 29 March 1966, and a special service was held for him at the Methodist Church, Oxley Road, Auburn.